Harry Redknapp envies arch-rivals Arsenal
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has spoken of his jealousy towards his North London rivals, Arsenal, and their style of play. The Gunners are known for their expansive and beautiful football,
a style which Redknapp has admitted he would like to replicate down the road at Spurs.
The former Portsmouth and West Ham boss explained, “You look at Arsenal- they're all popping the ball around to each other. If people want the ball, you've got a chance because they tend
not to give the ball away. I'd much rather play that way, to be honest with you, than have people in there who are hammer-throwers, and keep passing the ball to the other team and then tackling people to get it back again. I'd rather go the other way.”
Talking to The Game, Redknapp spoke of his delight at securing Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart to add to his fellow 'flair players' Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar. Redknapp
noted that these types of players, who possess inordinate amounts of quality when on the ball, are vital to keeping possession [of the ball] and creating chances. The 63-year-old said, “I'd like to get another couple of flair players for the side to go with
the likes of Van der Vaart and Modric. You don't give the ball away when you've got players like that.”
Redknapp has enjoyed playing attractive, attacking football wherever he has managed, with the onus on getting the ball down and playing through teams. But he also appreciates the less
attractive football assets, with the likes of Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios listed amongst his favourites, whose styles of play are less easy on the eye, despite their undeniable effectiveness.
And with quality such as Modric, Van der Vaart, Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone and new-boy Sandro, all of whom are extremely comfortable on the ball, the Spurs are no slouches when it comes
to playing eye-catching football, although they are still behind the delightful nature of Arsenal’s passing prowess.
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